Last Chance by L Graham I woke up in tears after having this dream, and, while I know I'm going to get flames for this one, I thought that it would make a great EMXC. This is in no way connected to either GATEWAYS or REMEMBERING, nor is it attached to OPEN END CATHARSIS. Please feel free to blast away, and at the end of this piece, you'll find a challenge for you. LAST CHANCE LGraham103 4/10/96 A blinding white light flashed in front of Scully's eyes as the semi roared past them. She heard her own scream as it clipped the driver's side of their rental car and sent them spinning. Several concussions rocked her ears as their car spun top-like up against the teetering truck, until Scully felt Mulder's body cover hers, and the truck toppled over. Blackness. "Scully," a voice whispered into her ear, "Scully, please wake up. You need to help me get you out" "Mulder?" she moaned, and tried to move. Her seat belt felt incredibly tight, and she squirmed. "Mulder? What happ-" A hand hand covered her mouth, and she heard him whisper again, more urgently, "Scully. Scully, you need to help me get you out." For some reason, she hadn't opened her eyes yet, and when she pried them open, she realized why. Her subconscious hadn't wanted her to see the wreckage. The most noticeable thing in her view was the trailer of the semi-truck, leaning over the top of her seat. The roof of their car had been ripped off. The safety cage that made up their rental car had barely held, bent in several places, including a beam the had stopped just a foot and a half short of pinching Scully in two, and she could hear the metal groaning. Of course all the glass was gone, covering everything in little cubes of silver and greenish white. "Scully!" Mulder whispered again, and she looked over at him. Up, actually, as their car was tilted at a fourty-five degree angle into the semi. Covered in his blood and hers, his eyes held a severe panic that began to rub off on her, and she wondered why he was whispering. "Scully! Come on. Take my hand and get out of there!" He extended his right arm down into the passenger seat, a task made easier seeing as the driver's door was missing. Pieces of skin were missing. "Mulder?!" "Scully, just give me your damn hand!" She reached out her left, and with his pulling, and her squirming, she managed to fall out of the car without too many extra injuries. Mulder fell beside her, and they both lay panting for a while. Suddenly, the cage gave way, and the point formed from the bent metal punctured the seat where Scully had just been. Scully sat up, ruing that action due to her head injuries. "God, Mulder that was close...what about the semi's driver?" Mulder didn't answer, and she turned her gaze from searching the road for a body to that of her partner's. "Mulder?" He continued to pant, and to her horror, he slowly raised the tattered cloth that had been his shirt to show her the gash across his stomach. "Glass," he whispered, "I went right through it, safety belt and all...didn't even feel it for a while...." He winced and gasped again. "Kept thinking 'she's still in there,' and had to get you out." She put her hands over the wound, but she knew that it was too late. She looked from where he was laying, to the side of the road, where a trail of blood ran between. "I guess...I was..lucky I didn't get thrown into the truck...." he gave her a little smile, and lifted his right hand to her waist. "Mulder-" she began, but his look stopped her. "Shhh," he hissed reassuringly, even though it seemed like he was the one to be comforted, "We both know. It's O.k. I can think of ten worse ways...like choking on a sunflower seed." She didn't laugh, but he did. "Mulder, you've got to stay awake. Help will be on i't's way." He smiled again, and she almost wished that he was crying or something. "Oh really? And who called for it? You? Did we have an out-of-body experience, Scully? he winced again, but kept smiling, "Always the skeptic." She lay over him now, propped up on her hands, and he draped both his arms over her back. "It's not all that bad. I've died in much worse conditions than this.....and at least.." he he licked his lips, "at least this time, I can say goodbye." Scully started crying at this point, and Mulder merely smiled again. "You've always...been there. I've treated you like shit and still you were...there... You loved me... Always the only one....and Scully," one tear washed a narrow line through the blood on his face, "I love you too. I have loved you for a long time...Thank you" He let his eyes close briefly, and another tear escaped. "Mulder," Scully, said softly, and leaned closer. "I love you," and she placed a gentle kiss on his parted lips. Those lips smiled again, and as the last breath flowed through them, Fox Mulder, for the first time in his life... felt joy. Allright folks, here's your challenge....all responses are to be sent to me first, and THEN to SciNut (no offense, there, Nutty! ;) ). I want you guys to not only plan greiving for Scully and a burial for Mulder, but want you guys to find a way to bring him back using a Crossover from another role Duchovny has played. For all you Duchovniks out there, you shouldn't have too hard a time getting ideas; ( I myself have plenty, but they get too complicated) the hard part is keeping them simple... Have fun! Lesley.